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Dominick Pizzonia
Dominick "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia (born November 19, 1941) is a New York mobster and captain with the Gambino crime family who was a hitman and loanshark. Early life and rise Born on November 19th 1941 in the Ozone Park section of Queens, Pizzonia began working for the Gambino crime family as a crew member for then caporegime John Gotti. On December 16, 1985, Pizzonia allegedly participated in the assassinations of Gambino boss Paul Castellano and underboss Thomas Bilotti outside Sparks Steak House. It was alleged that during the hit, Pizzonia served as a backup shooter. After Castellano's murder, Gotti took over as family boss. In June 1988, Pizzonia allegedly murdered mobster Frank Boccia at the family's request. The Gambinos ordered Boccia's murder because he had allegedly pushed his mother-in-law Jennifer, the wife of mobster of Anthony Ruggiano down a flight of stairs, while Ruggiano was in prison for refusing to pay for his daughter's $500 baptism. Boccia was lured to Cafe Liberty in Ozone Park, Queens on the ruse of an upcoming planned heist, Pizzonia shot Boccia in the head repeatedly. Pizzonia paused midway to reload, said "this guy don't want to fucking die", and then shot him a few more times. They gutted Boccia's like a fish so that his body would not float, and threw the body into the waters off Merrick, New York. On December 24, 1988, as a reward for the Castellano and Boccia murders, the Gambinos allowed Pizzonia to become a made man, or full member, in the family. He earned the nickname "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia to distinguish himself from Gambino crime family mobster "Fat Dom" Borghese, so associates would not get confused. On December 24, 1992, Pizzonia participated in the murder of Thomas Uva and his wife Rosemary. Previously that year, the Uvas had robbed several social clubs belonging to the Gambino, Bonanno, and Colombo crime families. Pizzonia was especially enraged by the Uvas because they twice robbed Gotti's Bergin Hunt and Fish Club in Ozone Park, which Pizzonia managed. On Christmas Eve, Pizzonia and capo Ronald Trucchio located the Uvas in Queens and shot both of them dead in their car. In 1995, Pizzonia became the head of a Gambino bookmaking operation and later replaced Peter Gotti as capo. Conviction In May 2007, a federal jury convicted Pizzonia on a racketeering charge of conspiracy to commit murder in the 1992 Uva murders. However, he was found not guilty on three counts of murder and loan sharking. Pizzonia was also found not guilty in the 1988 Boccia murder. Because Pizzonia had already pleaded guilty to a gambling charge before the trial, the one single act of conspiracy was enough to convict him on the entire count. In September 2007, Pizzonia was sentenced to 15 years in prison. As of March 2009, Pizzonia is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (Otisville) outside New York City. Pizzonia will be 80 years old on his scheduled release on February 28, 2020. People Murdered by Dominick Pizzonia Order: No.Name/Rank/Affiliation/When/Involevment/Reason 1.Paul Castellano/Boss/Gambino Crime Family/December 16th 1985/Personal/ Pizzonia was a hitman, Castellano was killed because he was unpopular and because Gotti wanted to become boss. 2.Thomas Bilotti/Underboss/Gambino Crime Family/December 16th 1985/Personal/ Pizzonia was a hitman, Bilotti was killed because he was unpopular and because he was Castellano's Bodyguard. 3.Frank Boccia/Soldier/Gambino Crime Family/June 1988/Personal/ for abusing his mother in law Jennifer Ruggiano in a dispute over $500 for a baptism. 4.Thomas Uva/None/Independent/December 24th 1992/Personal/ For robbing gambino crime family owned bars. 5.Rosemary Uva/None/Independent/December 24th 1992/Personal/ For robbing gambino crime family owned bars. Category:Gambino Crime Family Category:Gambino Capos Category:Gotti Faction